Shinachiku in Boruto
by Dotchi13
Summary: His own world is crumbling when eight month old Shinachiku Uzumaki is sent to the Borutoverse by his parents and falls under the care of Sarada and Sakura Uchiha. (Drabble series, Pro-Sakura, Pro-Hinata, Slightly OOC, WARNING: No NaruHina or SasuSaku in the fic, Mentions of Other pairing Children from another universe)
1. Arrival

Author's Note: It has literally been years since I have posted on this hellsite. I mostly call it that because of how awful the Naruto fandom has become ever since the end in more ways than one.

And yes, I hated the ending, and I barely intend to watch Boruto.

But I still have a past with this series and I've been making these Oneshots.

My friend said she loved them and it's gained me the confidence now to bundle this up and send it out chapter by Chapter.

This is in no way Pro-SasuSaku or NaruHina, however I'm not planning on them having divorces. I just want to be Pro-Sakura and Hinata in the way they are as mothers, as we know Sakura isn't always destroying houses in anger because her daughter's questioning her legitimacy, Hinata isn't always acting OOC angry because her son and husband, and I wanted to throw in a little cutie into all of this. :3

With all that out of the way, I hope you guys enjoy this!

* * *

The world was crumbling around them, there wasn't much time, and everything was in place.

Adults bit their thumbs, drawing blood as they stood across from one another with their child in the center, planting their hands on the ground as seals appeared between them and the little one.

Steeled blue and Hardened Green looked to one another before to the little one in their circle, their hardened eyes misting.

" Shinachiku." Came the near reverent voice of his father, the Hokage robe settling to the flourish he had made as he tried to make sure his voice didn't break, " Please take care of yourself. I know you will make your mother and I proud."

" Your father and I love you so much." The universal symbol of a medic nin was on the woman's arm along with the renowned swirl of the Uzumaki on her back as her tears softly pittered onto the floor while their child disappeared with a 'poff!'.

It was so hard to make this decision, but it was done.

They had no clue if their friends who had children had done the same, though they hoped so, there was a moderate chance of survival if a child was sent through but both the blond and pinkette knew that if he had stayed he would have definitely died.

Just like they will.

" Naruto." The woman spoke softly.

" Sakura." The Man croaked, tears running down his face before he went to her and hugged her tight as their world violently shuddered around them, holding each other till the end, perishing with the hopes that their son was somewhere safe.

* * *

Sarada Uchiha proudly showed her mother her headband upon graduation as a genin, being placed on Konohamaru Sarutobi's Team with Boruto Uzumaki and Mitsuki.

" Well look at that! You're officially a genin now Sarada!" Sakura leaned back slightly with her hands on her hips, her chest puffing out in pride for her daughter, " We should definitely do something to celebrate!"

Sarada's eyes sparkled, " Some Black Tea Foods?" She asked as she clasped her hands together, Sakura giving a small laugh and nodding as she went to the kitchen.

" Hai Hai Your highness." The pinkette teased before starting to cook as Sarada went to rummage around for what would be dessert.

Within time the two celebrated with dinner served with Black Tea and a side of Umeboshi, cheering to Sarada and her accomplishment and talking about Sakura's own past when she graduated from the Academy.

When the time came Sakura stacked up the dishes and both carried everything to the sinks for Sakura to wash, Sarada noticed the trash and out of force of habit pulled it shut and took it out even if her mother called after her, tossing it out when she heard a whimper in response to the loud noise.

She blinked a couple of times before pulling out a kunai, her Sharingan activating as she cautiously approached the whimpering sounds of what sounded like an upset baby.

She tried not to let that get to her as she used the blade to nudge back a box, making a noise in near upset surprise when she spotted a tiny blond baby in there.

Some scumbag abandoned a baby!

She still approached it cautiously as it started to cry, making her jolt before she moved forward a little more, waving her free hand, putting a finger to her lips.

However the mere appearance of a person made him calm down, giving a hiccup as Sarada tilted her head at him, feeling like she had seen him before or something before she noticed a note tucked into his blankets and a plushie of a slug in his grasp.

" What...?" She took the note and hesitantly opened it, a picture falling out as she crouched down and picked it up, looking to the note without the picture.

**_To the Reader of this Note, _**

**_I hope to the Gods you have done the right thing and have taken my son in, as we have no clue what kind of world we have sent him in. All we knew was that anywhere was safer than here. _**

**_His name is Shinachiku Uzumaki, and seeing as my husband and I used our blood to send him out more than likely he ended up in a place where you know one of us, best case scenario both of us. _**

**_I am Sakura Uzumaki, formerly Haruno, and my husband is Naruto Uzumaki, please, let the other versions of us take a blood test if they want to confirm, he's eight months old, I just beg whoever is reading this to keep him safe. _**

**_Our world as I write this is crumbling around us from a force we had been unable to stop and Naruto and I knew it was best to send him, and we believe our other friends have sent out their children, though with communication shot we have no way of knowing. _**

**_Please let him know whenever he needs that he is loved and that we both care about him deeply, we will always be right behind him. _**

_**Sincerely, Sakura Uzumaki.** _

Sarada then checked on the photo and there stood her mother and the Seventh Hokage Naruto together. Her mother had a ribbon in her hair to show off her forehead, wearing a red dress that showed off her stomach with an Uzumaki swirl visible on her sleeve as the Hokage had his arms wrapped around her, his head leaned against hers with his eyes closed and the widest grin she had ever seen on him, his hair was long as well as he wore almost the same haori he wore in this world, white with flames at the bottom, the only thing different being the Uzumaki swirl at his throat and the fact he wore a jounin uniform underneath it.

They looked so happy, and ironically this was more of a picture than her own parents had.

She tucked them away, along with her kunai, not yet letting her eyes shift back as she crouched to the blond hidden behind her house.

" Hey there Shina-Chan! I'm sorry about what happened with..." She wondered how she could put it before settling with, " Your parents, but you don't need to worry, we're gonna take care of you."

She then reached down and scooped him up, trying to hold him as correctly as she had seen other mothers in the village do, accidentally smooshing the little one's nose before apologizing to him as she carried him inside to talk to her mother, causing a plate to accidentally crash to the ground.

Hopefully nothing gets destroyed again.

* * *

Author's Note before you leave: You guys think I should bring more of the others from Shinachiku's world? Why I left it up to interpretation is because I don't know if I should make it a pure Shinachiku fic or if I want to sprinkle in other families finding out about other children, Read, Review and Please be Nice! It's been a while for me.


	2. Confirmation

Ah, it's so nice to see positive reception, got two flamers for the story but one of them was too cowardly to get off anon so I guess they don't count do they? Still, I may not like the non-anon flame, but I do find it kind of astounding in a way that they didn't hide behind the anonymity, that's literally the only thing I respect about them. :)

Now through the reviews I have decided that the other children will be brought in, however it will be done at different points and will be very sparse.

**_This story isn't really made to be a story- _**_meaning unfortunately no one will be able to know what exactly had destroyed one of the universes that Naruto and Sakura resided in- though I headcanon their destruction having brought about by a NaruSaku Lover simply deleting the universe(fic) they had made for them because they were bullied until they just didn't want to be around anymore. _

_It's happened in this accursed fandom, so I'm going with that as a way to say their characters will still live on even if the story was taken down- _**_this is merely a Slice of Life Family drabble series of Shinachiku growing up with two older half-sisters and an older half-brother with his real parents being apart from each other, married to other people without any cheating plot involved. I do not plan to get pairings involved but seeing as I'm a diehard shipper there might be some mentions of Anti and only a few of the pairings I love will become a part of the universe through their children appearing. _**

**_I'm writing this story because I want to. If you like it, great, if not, then I don't really understand why you're here._**

* * *

Sakura Haruno-Uchiha sat in a lab, fidgeting nervously as she glanced over to see her daughter holding onto the tiny blond as she looked into a microscope before holding up the confused baby to look into it as well, gushing to the little one about what was under the magnifying lens.

Sakura never really saw her daughter as one that would want another sibling, she had never really mentioned it but she had taken to Shinachiku like a fish to water, carrying him around and helping in feeding him and taking care of him in the small allotment of time that he was around.

The door opened and Sakura jolted to a standing position as she looked to Shizune.

" Well?"

Shizune looked from her to the green-eyed boy, quiet before looking to Sakura as she held up the papers for her to look at.

" He's your son. I suspect if we took Naruto-kun's blood as well it would prove a direct match as well. Sakura, are you sure...?"

" I told you exactly what happened Shizune-NeeChan, Sarada found him in a box behind the house with a letter saying he was the son of Naruto and I.

I was never pregnant after Sarada, I would never betray Sasuke-kun like that, and I tested for genjutsu, there's nothing on him... I just wanted confirmation from you."

Shizune was quiet for a moment before she nodded, " So... Will you tell Naruto?"  
Sakura immediately shook her head, " He's too busy as it is, he barely spends time with the children he has, working so much, why throw another child at him? Not to mention Hinata would be devastated, she already doesn't like it when Naruto and I spend time together, it's just... too much for everyone else to deal with."

" And you think you can handle him yourself? You're already in debt since you destroyed your last house Sakura!" Shizune scolded the younger woman.

Sakura looked to the ground in shame at how she had exploded on her daughter and destroyed the house they had not even paid off.

She had just been so upset at her daughter questioning the validity of her marriage with Sasuke... Mostly because she felt the same way at the time.

Sarada going out and looking for him... what if she hadn't gone to look for him? Would he have just continued to never show up?

She shook her head and smacked her cheeks, looking to her daughter.

Her marriage was valid, they had Sarada after all.

Her eyes then drifted to the little one happily giggling in the young girls arms, biting her lip in thought as to how she would fulfill the wishes of her other self.

She wasn't going to ignore the dying wishes of herself, if it had been the other way, she would have prayed that the other Sakura would have listened to her and taken good care of Sarada in her stead.

Well all she could do now was take extra shifts at the hospital and hoped they paid the bills.

She would stay around Shinachiku, but she had to make sure that they had the money to care for him, otherwise she would have to go to Naruto and not only explain why but... wow when was the last time she had properly talked to him?

The prospect was too intimidating before she was knocked out of her thoughts by a babbling tiny hands taking her pink locks as she blinked to see her eyes staring back at her, looking back to Sarada whom was extending him out to her as the green-eyed woman took the small boy.

" Gotta go to the bathroom Mama, take care of Shina-Chan for me~" Something told Sakura Sarada might have been lying just so Sakura would show the little blond some attention and bond with him, but she took him anyways and placed him on her hip as she watched him lightly tug at her hair and babble to her as if demanding all of her attention with something almost critically important, attention she willingly gave as every little second her eyes were on him she couldn't help but fall a little more in love with the boy that was hers.


	3. Swallowing One's Pride

It was as soon as Sakura got home after officially deciding to take in Shinachiku as her own that she realized the gaping hole of logic that she didn't even look at when making this decision:

_Who exactly was going to take care of Shina-Chan? _

Sure, Sarada could on some levels, but not only was she a child but part of a three-man cell which would require her to be on missions, and Sakura was absolutely refused to take Shinachiku with her to work, the probability of more people seeing him would skyrocket and the gossip getting to Naruto or his family would be assured.

So who exactly could she turn to?

Ino was a gossip no matter how much of a good friend she was she would likely tell, and Sakura did not know Temari or Tenten very well to gauge anything despite being on good terms. Tsunade wouldn't be able to shut up about it and Shizune was busy being Naruto's assistant, not the advisor anymore, that went to Shikamaru but still a busy woman nonetheless.

A clone would just be reckless for either Shinachiku's well-being or the well being of her patient whichever way it went, so she had to get a real person, a person she trusted and would keep her secret.

And of course she knew who to turn to, even if it hurt her inside.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

That night Sakura heard a knock on her door and opened it to see Karin Uzumaki on the other side.

Sakura didn't hate Karin... but she had always been envious of her, if it hadn't been obvious from Sakura taping herself over Karin for the entirety of Sarada's existence on the only picture she had of Sasuke until very recently.

Karin however didn't really seem to hold anything against her, merely viewing her as someone to make Sasuke happy when she couldn't, even when Sakura wasn't very sure of that.

She knew she could trust the red head, that and her Team surprisingly never even attempted to settle into the village for any amount of time, merely turning around and leaving with Sasuke without staying to take root with any friends, which led to her having no one to confide this secret in besides the other members of the team she stayed around with.

She informed the redhead of the situation and showed the blond child sleeping beside an enamored Sarada, the two of them asleep in the bed with Sarada in a sleeping Yukata with fireworks all over it covering her and a small baby blanket that used to belong to the older girl draped over him, her glasses off on the bedside table as Karin made her way over and eyed over the baby before looking back.

" He does look like Naruto, though I think I've seen his other children, this one doesn't have whiskers?" The redhead asked, curious as Sakura gave a small shrug as she had no idea how to explain Boruto and Himawari having whiskers when Shinachiku didn't.

" Probably just random chance. I don't exactly know how Kurama and the genetics work." Sakura confessed, a little put off by that, " But it doesn't really matter. He is what they said he is, the son of Naruto and I from another place, and I agreed to take care of him.

However, I need the money, Sasuke-kun didn't even give any to us when Sarada was born I don't think he'll give anything for this. So I'm taking extra shifts at the Hospital to help pay for raising him, and I need someone to be there for him, seeing as Sarada has to go on missions sometimes and she's never had a sibling to help raise or understand."

" Makes sense. However I do not know how successful I myself would be, I wasn't around children a lot myself." Karin confessed with a small frown, " Are you sure you don't want to tell Naruto?"

" And tell him what exactly? I mean I could tell him the truth and of course he would believe me, I have Shizune to back me up and the fact this isn't a genjutsu… However I don't think his family would be able to take the strain. He's already so distant to his two children, Boruto acts out and Himawari's recent art drawings say all she wants is for him to spend time with her. And Hinata... When Naruto isn't around she looks so fragile, Shina-Chan's like a rock that would shatter her gut and she's my friend." Sakura gestured helplessly.

" We didn't do anything but maybe the knowledge that in some place somewhere we had done something just makes her shut down-"

" Sakura." Karin cut her off as she folded her arms, " I'll admit I don't know Naruto very well, nor his family.

But wouldn't it hurt more to them if you actually acted like there was something to hide? You didn't cheat with anyone, there's nothing you have to hide. So that child is your kid from another universe, so what? It doesn't betray the fact that you both are different here. You have children with other people here, not there.

Use this as an opportunity for good, to make sure the child has all options opened to him, to have the ability to have a full family who loves him, if they accept him, and for you to have the support you need. If it doesn't work out then I will be there with Juugo and Suigetsu, but I promise you that if everything works out they would be more fulfilling than we will."

Karin wasn't trying to push the responsibilities off herself, but she remembered her own past with nothing but her mother who died when she was still young.

If a child had the opportunity to be surrounded in a full and loving family then she felt obligated to help them.

It's what she would have wanted for herself.

" I'll be back tomorrow, I hope by then you will have told them. Sakura... I care about you and Sarada very much.

Don't struggle alone."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

She then walked past the pink-haired woman whom almost looked pained, closing the door behind her as Sakura bowed her head.

For so long she had been taking care of Sarada all by herself...

For so long no one had been there besides Ino who talked to her from time to time, Naruto had vanished from everyone's sight and Hinata didn't really spend time with anyone but her daughter now.

The thought of asking for help seemed so hard...

But she looked up with teary eyes and both of the children were the only thing in her sight.

She would swallow her pride.

She would do it.

For them.


	4. Finally Meeting!

Sakura had accepted she had to talk to Naruto, however she also knew that she couldn't just show Naruto by himself, she would have to talk to Hinata as well and show them Shinachiku.

It would be less suspicious that way, it might still look suspicious but Sakura had Shizune, the note and picture from the other Sakura, and Sarada's own awareness of the event being the one to find the little one with her.

So the next day after a lot of thought on how to tackle the subject she strapped in for something upsetting and called in to Naruto that she needed to speak to him and Hinata early in the morning, probably waking up Naruto now she thought about it but it was his fault for sleeping in his office as often as he did.

Naruto seemed confused and a little off-put but she wasn't going to give anything more than that as she gave him a time before hanging up, going to Sarada and finding her awake with a crying Shinachiku as the young girl frantically tried to find out what was wrong with him, Sakura stepping in with an almost indulgent smile to both her children.

" Come on Shina-Chan let's get you changed and fed~" She cooed to him as the blond baby hiccupped, looking over to her daughter as she turned, " Please get dressed Sarada, we're off to see the Hokage today."

" Shinachiku's papa, Lord Seventh?" Sarada asked, surprised before she nodded furiously, racing to get into her clothes.

Sakura had noticed how much Sarada admired Naruto, to the point that she had wanted to become Hokage herself, and Sakura found herself backing her daughter in her dreams to become the best of the best, she just wanted Sarada to be happy even if at times it conflicted with her own feelings, like when Sarada left to meet her father.

Sure Sakura hated the questions and the jabs it took at her emotional state and her thoughts, but in the end Sarada was smiling genuinely and no one was dead, as long as that criteria was met she was happy to back her daughter in her goals.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

She changed Shinachiku, slipping him back into his green onesie as she made a mental note to go shopping for him as she donated Sarada's baby clothes out when Sasuke's absence time reached a decade, Sarada running in to the smashing sound of her mother pulverizing carrots for Shinachiku to try, turning to the little one in the chair as his green eyes sparkled seeing her and what she was carrying, " Shina-Chaaan~"

She offered up a slug plushie to him as he squealed and hugged it, taking it from her as he wiggled with it.

" Ah, that was with him when he came here wasn't it?" Sakura hummed as she put the pulverized carrots into a small bowl, smiling softly to herself at the thought crossing her mind looking to the stuffed slug, ' _It looks like Katsuyuu-Sama._'

" Yeah, he really seems to like it!" Sarada beamed to her before brushing past to see if there was cereal in the cupboards, Sakura weaving past her and feeding a very hungry Shinachiku with some mashed carrots, there being a bit of a mess but it was manageable, leaving Sarada to play with him as she roved over the house for any possible carrier she could use for him before deciding on a blanket sling she could fashion until she got a proper carrier as she tied a good knot on her shoulder and slipped the happily fed baby and his plushie into place.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

" Ready?"

" Ready!" Sarada smiled to her before the two of them left the house, hopping from rooftop to rooftop as Sarada carried the evidence in her kunai pouch as they got to the Hokage office, Sakura covering the curious little one from the outside world as she walked into the office with her daughter by her side and her head held high, thinking about Karin's words.

She didn't cheat, she had done nothing wrong and neither did Naruto, she had no need to feel ashamed.

Her eyes met Shizune's and she gave a nod, the older woman pausing in her work before abandoning it to follow the pink-haired woman, wondering what had happened to change Sakura's mind from letting Naruto know about what was going on.

She stood beside the door as she looked to Sakura, unsure before the ex-Haruno knocked on the door loudly.

" Come in." Came the practically monotoned voice of Naruto, Sakura pausing for a little.

There was a reason she hadn't interacted with Naruto in a while and what he had become as a person had been one of them.

Back when she was younger she knew full well what his answer to this surprise child would have been, smiles and immediate acceptance without question, but as she pushed open the door with Sarada by her side she acknowledged again that times have changed the both of them.

She rubbed Shinachiku's back in confirmation he was still there, taking in the Hokage office which was scattered with scrolls, Naruto sitting in the middle of all of it with Hinata standing not beside him but in front of the desk, as if she had just got there as she looked back to Sakura, looking a little anxious that she was called there as the tense air in the room relaxed a little to the appearance of Sarada, whom looked serious, but her eyes still held a shine of appreciation for the room and the important people by the desk.

" Lord Seventh, Lady Hinata." Sarada intoned with a bow of her head.

" Naruto, Hinata." Sakura spoke up, looking to the two of them, " I have called you for something important."

Both of the two looked to the sling in Sakura's arms, a pudgy little hand having poked out gripping at the red shirt Sakura was wearing.

" Sakura-Chan?" Hinata asked, her brows furrowing, worried, " What do you have there?"

Naruto also looked curious but Sakura took more steps in, keeping quiet.

Sakura decided to get straight to the point, not wanting to have any more false drama than what was to come, " Sarada found him behind our house with a note, a picture and a plushie. I had his blood tested and looked for any genjutsu and he's clean.

Naruto..." Sakura drew back the fabric to show the little boy with brilliant green eyes and blond hair with tanned skin, " Please meet your son from another place, Shinachiku."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Naruto's eyes widened and his jaw dropped as Hinata's hand clutched at the front of her jacket before the veins in her temples bulged, Sakura not blaming her for that reaction as she stared at the little one in Sakura's arms.

" Sakura-Chan-" Naruto sputtered, " What- How-"

" Excuse me Lord Seventh, here." Sarada reached into her pouch and produced the photo and the letter for him, Naruto looking to it and reading, his eyes unblinking as Hinata's Byakugan disappeared and she looked... devastated, no other word for it, swallowing hard.

" He's clean Naruto-kun." She whispered to him before looking to see him staring at the picture of Sakura and him together, his arms around her with the old Uzumaki grin absolutely stretching his face, like it had done with her when she had Boruto so long ago, Hinata looking from him to Shinachiku as her bottom lip trembled, trying not to show how upset she was at this new development.

After all, it had just been explained, it was a child from another world, neither Naruto or Sakura had betrayed her or her trust in them.

She wiped at the wetness in her eyes and faced Sakura a little more, " Do you... have a plan for him?"  
" Sarada and I are going to be taking care of him." Sakura looked to the ground, " I know you and Naruto have been... struggling in spending time together and I didn't want to burden you. I just had to tell you two of him because I have nothing to hide. I am still your friend, just with someone else's child.

With how different we are in that world, we might as well be altogether all different people, so I just wanted you both to know he was here instead of letting others talk."

Naruto's chair gave a small jolt as he stood fast, " Can I..." Naruto's eyes were fixed on the little one in Sakura's sling, " Can I hold him?"

Sakura looked down to Shinachiku as well, whom was unable to turn all the way back to see Naruto as he looked around the room, a little uninterested with it before she pulled him out, keeping his slug plushie in the sling as she walked to Naruto, offering up the little blond as Sarada held her breath, watching as Naruto lifted up the green-eyed little blond, his eyes wide as he seemed unable to breathe, unable to look away from his other son.

Shinachiku stared to him with wide green eyes before giving a big smile that reminded Hinata of Naruto as Naruto's eyes seemed to be getting wet, a young cord inside him being struck from the new life beaming to him as he pulled him close.

Shinachiku babbled excitedly to him as he placed his small hands on Naruto's face, his little legs kicking, the two older women watching him in shock while Sarada beamed, happy the Hokage approved of her little brother while the other two could not look away from the large Uzumaki smile that spread across Naruto's face as he held the smallest Uzumaki, it being a smile he had not genuinely held in years, Hinata last remembering it being aimed at Boruto and Himawari when they were small as he gently bounced the little one.

" Hey Shinachiku!"

* * *

**Author's Note:** So Naruto finally met Shinachiku! Hinata's a little crushed but who wouldn't be really? A chapter focusing on her will be coming soon, as well as the introduction of another pairing baby! Hope you guys enjoy, and don't worry, it may get a little angsty at times but all and all this is made to be a fluffy story, hopefully something to make people smile!

Read and Review, I really want to know if this seemed alright, Constructive Criticism is appreciated!


	5. Familial Aftermath

**Author's Note:** I decided Hinata's Chapter would be here, after all this is a fic to be both Pro-Hinata as well as Sakura and I thought it would be nice to focus on how she feels about the situation before Shinachiku gets to meet his half-siblings!

With that in mind here we go!

* * *

Naruto was already deeply attached to the little one and Hinata knew it wasn't just because he was a child as she looked back to Sakura, whom was watching Naruto with a small smile before to Sarada whom was approaching the blond man slowly as she smiled to him and the cooing blond baby.

Her heart ached even when she didn't want it to.

She had long accepted that other things came before her in Naruto's heart, she might have vainly hoped that she would be at the forefront for a while, but that had only happened once in her whole relationship with Naruto and that was the time where she first married him and had Boruto.

Even when they were dating he was off on many missions and after Boruto became big enough to walk Naruto started prepping for his future job, pushing her and their son to the back burner of work, even when she became pregnant with Himawari she was never the forefront of his priorities, even when she was happy Himawari was.

She had been trying to follow his example ever since she realized it, putting her children before her husband, as her children were her life, but as always he was such a big part of it as they constantly asked her when he was going to be back home, if he was going to spend time with them, Boruto especially thirsting for his approval.

Oh Boruto…

Hinata knew her son was going to be heartbroken seeing the new addition to the family, which he would hide with rage.

And all she could hope was that the young boy wouldn't blame Shinachiku as well, though it was no one's fault the little one deserved no ill-will especially.

She couldn't bring herself to hate the small one in her husband's lap, Naruto bouncing him gently as the green-eyed boy gabbed to him senselessly as if telling him of all his journeys, Naruto appeasing with gasps and 'I see!'s

She gently cleared her throat and Naruto took a couple seconds before he looked to her, Sarada not looking up as she tried to catch Shinachiku's attention, Sakura's focus worriedly on her.

" Will we be telling Boruto and Himawari?" She asked quietly.

She might have lost her stutter but she was still a rather quiet woman when she wasn't furious.

" Ah!" Naruto blinked for a couple seconds as if just retaining clarity, as if he had forgotten his other children were around, which cut her slightly, " Of course! He is family after all!"

Hinata nodded and looked down to the baby of the room.

She walked over slowly, letting everything fall away as she crouched to be eye level with Shinachiku, whom stared at her curiously.

She put out her hand and gently wiggled her fingers, his hand coming down to hers as she gently brushed a thumb against his soft chubby hand, giving him a small smile before standing and leaving the room, the door giving the softest click as she heard Sarada ask Sakura if it really was a good idea to get Boruto involved in this.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

However Hinata was not going allow the gossip to run rampant and have her children be the last to know on something so important as she went back home, hearing her son's video game from in the living room and Himawari's soft humming as she was on paper with her arsenal of crayons, the two of them looking up to her with their pale blue eyes for a moment.

" Okaa-San's home!" Himawari pushed herself up and raced over as she collided into her mother, wrapping her arms around her and nuzzling her face into her stomach.

" So what did the shitty old man want?" Boruto asked, merely looking back to his game as he lounged on the couch.

" He didn't want anything Boruto. Please do not insult your father like that." She murmured as she held Himawari back.

" I'll stop when he's here to stop me." He grumbled back as he didn't move his eyes away from his game before speaking louder, " Then why did he call you?"

" Because your Aunt Sakura wanted to speak to us."

That caused Boruto to look away from his game, " Something big?"

Hinata wordlessly nodded and he sat up, tossing the game behind him as Himawari looked up to her curiously.

" Something we can see?"

" I believe that would be best, please be quick to get ready."

" We get to see Daddy?!" Himawari gasped, delighted as the ex-Hyuuga nodded, her daughter cheering and racing for the front door where her shoes were as a curious Boruto followed, being trailed after by their mother.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Please Review! I would really love to see your guy's thoughts if you liked it!


	6. Custody

Sakura was unsure how it would go for the family, but she was happy to see Shinachiku and Naruto so happy seeing each other as the Hokage lifted up the little one above his head, Shinachiku giving a breathless little gasp with a toothless smile as Sarada giggled, standing beside them as her dark eyes glittered behind her glasses, absolutely adoring her little sibling before the ex-Haruno turned her eyes to the door, simply waiting for the bomb that would drop.

Sarada showed Naruto Shinachiku's favorite games in Peekaboo and Airplane, the Uzumaki utter putty for the child before there was a knock on the door and Naruto straightened up, pausing for a moment before deciding it to be better Sarada held the blond baby lest his other children get the wrong idea.

Well... depending on what came to mind.

Shinachiku whined and squirmed but Sarada merely supported his bottom and locked an arm under his own, securing the little one to her as the door opened and Himawari ran in, her arms spread open as a blissful smile was on her face.

" Daddy!" She ran around the other side of the desk and collided into her father in a hug as Boruto entered more slowly and much less enthusiastically with Hinata following, softly shutting the door behind them, " How have you been Daddy?"

" Fine Himawari, please join your brother for a second okay?" He asked as he pet his daughter's head in greeting as he hugged her back before letting her go, the blue-eyed girl nodding before obediently trotting to her brother and standing side by side.

" Now-"

" What is _that?_" Boruto interrupted him as he stared at the squirming child in Sarada's arms.

Sarada glared at him, " Don't call him that."

" Why does it look like dad, mom?" Boruto looked to Hinata who stared to him helplessly before petting her son's head.

" _He_-" Hinata softly corrected, " Is your baby brother."  
" We have a baby brother?!" Himawari asked as she turned her sparkling eyes to her mother before again departing from their side to Sarada and Shina-Chan, " He's so cute!" She gushed.

" What the hell is this dad?!" Boruto ignored his sister's utter delight, brushing off his mom's hand to step forward to his blood father, " What the hell happened?! Did you screw Aunt Sakura?!"

" Boruto!" The adults stared at the teen with wide eyes.

" How dare you!" Sakura's emerald eyes blazed, her hands turning into fists, but held herself back. She could honestly see where he was coming from in a way... Though she hated how everyone automatically assumed she had slept with Naruto instead of this being something like a genjutsu or a trap.

" Boruto that was uncalled for." Hinata lectured.

" Is it mom? He's never home, you don't know!"

" But we do you idiot!" Sarada marched past Himawari and offered up the tot to Boruto, right in front of his face as Shinachiku looked to him curiously, " He came with a note saying he's from a different universe, a universe where my mom and your dad got together, both are innocent and you should be more respectful to them!"

There was a deep silence that was to the point you could hear a pin drop as bright blue eyes looked over the offered child, there being a critical on his face.

" What's his name." It wasn't a question.

" Shinachiku Uchiha of course." Sarada pouted at him.

" You mean Uzumaki since he ain't Sasuke-Sensei's." Boruto answered as Shinachiku squirmed with a want to be supported from dangling in Sarada's hands, Boruto lifting his own and putting them under Shinachiku's feet, making the little one seem to stand.

" But Mom and I are gonna raise him." Sarada answered matter-of-factly.

" Y-You mean we're not going to have him?" Himawari asked, her eyes becoming a little teary as she looked to her father, " But Daddy he's our brother!"

" He's Sarada's too Himawari." Hinata gently reminded her.

" But- But!" The one that used to be the youngest Uzumaki waved her hands, distressed, " But I want him!"  
" The decision's your mother's Hima-Chan." Naruto answered as he watched Hinata.

Hinata looked from the two boys to her husband and then Sakura, bowing her head and motioning out the door as Sakura nodded and the two of them left the room with a click of the door, Himawari running to her brother and his teammate to see her new little brother and play with him, Boruto sitting down on the floor with Sarada and saying nothing as he was drawn in to play with Shinachiku as well.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

" Hinata I'm sorry-" Sakura started but Hinata held up a hand, stopping her.

" There is no need to apologize Sakura. I-I understand why you brought him forward." Her voice only tripped for a moment, " And the situation itself is no one's fault."

Sakura nodded in agreement.

" I think we should share him. With your permission. We can work out a system... and go from there."

" Is that what you really want Hinata?"

" I want my children to be happy.

My own desires are... unimportant, and they have been for years. I hope, that hopefully I can be a good Step-mother to Shinachiku, and the two of us can support each other and our children while our husbands are busy."

Sakura watched the Uzumaki woman before nodding in consent.

" Alright, then we'll share."

After more discussion about the specific dates the two of them opened up the door to see Naruto out of his chair and with his children as well as Sarada as Boruto tried to hide how conflicted he was his father was close and talking to them as Himawari was gushing to Shinachiku as Sarada rocked him about their wonderful house and she was going to teach Shinachiku how to color and everything.

It looked to be the start of something promising.


	7. First Dinner

**Author's Note:** Angsty stuff gone, Now's time for the comfort and family fluff!

Also, to have you all prepare for the future, none of the children here will be replicated in my other story _Boruto visits the Shinachiku Universe._ There is no SasuHina in this one, I am sorry to say, but I had another child (And children) planned for others, like Sasuke and Hinata. I hope you can all understand and still enjoy what is to come!

* * *

There was some discussion about the schedule between Hinata and Sakura and how they would take Shinachiku.

Hinata was a stay at home mother, but it was for two children, and though Sakura had one child, she still had a job to do that took up her time.

It was then agreed Hinata essentially the one to take care of Shinachiku when Sakura was unable to be around, and though Sakura was unsure, Hinata insisted.

After all, this child might not be hers, but he _was_ Naruto's, and she felt obligated to help while Naruto was so busy.

To commemorate the entire thing, they all had dinner together at the Uzumaki Household, Shinchiku being passed around to everyone during dinner.

Himawari and Sarada fed him mashed up foods, loving his smile while Boruto tried not to look happy when Shinachiku was placed into his lap with a sippy cup, all three parents doting on him in various levels as Naruto liked holding the little one and gabbing to him, Hinata cleaning up after him and softly fussing, making sure he didn't overeat while Sakura bounced him in her lap, eventually shifting him into a position where he could sleep when he got tuckered out.

As she looked out over the table she smiled softly, putting her face on her new son's shoulder to hide her warm smile, eating with the others until Boruto pushed away from the table.

" Dinner was great Mom, Thanks!" He then quickly bolted as everyone watched him, Sarada slamming her hands on the table,

" Boruto get back here and help with the clean-up!" Sarada snapped as she pushed her chair away and took off after him, Himawari giggling as she had a few pieces of rice on her cheek, Hinata brushing them away with a napkin before standing and gathering plates with Himawari, Naruto leaning back and stretching with a happy hum.

" Oi Naruto, aren't you going to help out your wife with clean up?" Sakura stared blankly at him, Naruto looking to Sakura before giving a sheepish laugh.

" Uh, I don't want to get in her way!" He then looked to the side, " Never really did that before anyways..."

" What?!" Sakura jumped up and grabbed Naruto by the collar, lifting him up with one hand, " Dammit Naruto you better go help your wife after she made dinner! _Shannaro_!" She then pitched him into the kitchen with an exaggerated crash.

" Mama you might wake up Shina-Chan!" Sarada reprimanded her mother as she dragged in Boruto, setting him down on his feet as he pouted and helped gather the remaining glasses and napkins.

" Ah Sorry…" She looked down to the little blond, only to find him still sleeping, " Hmm, he seems fine."

" He's probably used to loudness already." Hinata remarked with a small smile, " He had Naruto-kun as his father after all."

" Ah Come on Hinata, I'm not that bad!" Naruto pouted from his place at the sink, having brushed his wife aside as Himawari happily helped him dry off the dishes.

" Yeah, you're worse." Sakura blankly stated while Boruto rolled his eyes, Hinata taking her place back at the table and timidly putting one hand over the other on the table, looking hesitant to ask before finally putting it forward.

" Sakura-Chan, have you... Told Sasuke-kun about this?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Sakura paused and looked down to Shinachiku.

Ah. Yes. Sasuke.

" No, not yet. Then again..." She chuckled almost bitterly, " I'm not the one he stays in contact with from what I had heard."

All eyes in the room went to Naruto as he gave a glass to Himawari, pausing at the eyes on him and looking back, " Huh?"

" Hey, Old Man, ya gonna let Sasuke-San know about Shinachiku?" Boruto asked before anyone else, " He'd listen to you best."

Sakura said nothing to retort this as she tenderly pet the sleeping blond's head, feeling his little breath brush against her shoulder as he was facing outwards, arms curled to his chest as she nuzzled him, Hinata watching her with sympathy.

" Alright, I can do that, he'd probably be eager to meet him! This is a pretty interesting situation we've all been placed in after all!" He didn't seem to read the mood, and if he did he ignored it as he looked to Himawari, taking the dry glass from her, " Shall we go watch a movie Hima?"

" Uh Huh!" Himawari looked pleased as punch, also ignoring the slightly tense atmosphere as she jumped down and ran past her brother.

" Oi Himawari, don't put in that stupid movie you keep watching-"

" It's not stupid!" She merely called back as Boruto went after her as Sarada sighed and went after them, Naruto smiling without showing his teeth before he scratched his head and looked back to the two women before Shinachiku, his smile stretching indulgently for the little one as he gave a little laugh, " Well, I'll keep on the lookout for any new kids that might come around, how about a movie?"

" Well you did your chores, I'll say you earned it." Sakura smirked before standing with Hinata, Sakura trailing after the kids as Boruto and Himawari squabbled about which movie to watch, Hinata pausing for a moment and looking to her husband.

" Naruto-kun, how exactly are you going to broach this with Sasuke-kun?"

" Just tell him the truth!" Naruto placed his hands on his hips and gave an Uzumaki grin, " He doesn't like anything sugar-coated, and After all if anyone can handle that bastard it's me."

He chuckled before moving forward first as she nodded almost timidly, not fearing much for Naruto as she was for Sakura as she followed them, helping supply the blankets as Naruto wrapped himself up in one with Himawari- Boruto having struggled and refused, joining his mother- and Sakura with Sarada and Shinachiku as she quickly fell asleep with Shinachiku in her arms and Sarada's head on her other shoulder.


	8. Breakfast

**Author's Note**: Fluff and stuff!

Also, I've been getting a _lot_ of Comments that I should have implemented SasuHina instead of what I am actually planning (Had to delete a couple because of how avid one person was in sending me multiple comments that said the same thing).

It's fine if you feel that way, but personally I have been eager to put out the other pairings that I have planned instead, and I'm not deviating from it.

I would enjoy seeing such a world where the SasuHina children drop in on canon though, I still adore SasuHina after all, so if you guys decide to write that I would sincerely love to see it and please tell me the title so I can look at it!

I hope you all can understand and still enjoy this content!

* * *

The next day Sarada awoke on the Uzumaki sofa, wrapped up in a blanket with Sakura on a tatami mat on the floor, the adults likely having taken the sleeping children to their rooms and set Sarada up in the blankets while she was still asleep.

Realizing this she turned over onto her stomach and looked down beside her mother to see Shinachiku on his back as his beautiful jade green eyes looked to her, curious and wide awake while everyone else still seemed to be sleeping.

The little Uchiha could practically have hearts around her as she reached down and tickled his belly, the little one squirming as he gave off an adorable laugh, Sarada giving a small laugh before retracting her hand and wiggling her fingers.

" Morning Shina-Chan." She murmured warmly before getting up, still in her previous day's clothes as she sighed and stood, crouching to swoop up her little baby brother, " Getting heavy are we little man?"

The baby in her arms merely looked to her with a beautiful smile that made her squeal internally, " Well... You are growing up. Just don't become as annoying as Boruto okay?"

Shinachiku continued smiling to her, clueless as she shook his tiny hand, " It's a deal then."

She took him to get him changed, taking him to the kitchen.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

" Hmm, I guess I can mush up some stuff for you, I doubt they still have baby food from when Himawari-Chan was your age, and even if they did I doubt it would be any good..." She opened the fridge and looked around in it before fishing out Sweet Potatoes.

" This should do the trick!"

It was only when she was standing there with the bag did she realize that she had no hands to cook with.

" Agh... Must be more tired then I thought. Well, I'm not setting him down..." She felt a pang of frustration knowing her little blond brother was now going to be doted over by others than her and her mother. It was the one problem she had with revealing Shinachiku, almost knowing that others would love him and would want to hold him and play with him when they had their own extended family- yes she was side-eyeing his other siblings with that note.

It was then she realized that her mother should still have the sling that she brought Shina-Chan to the Seventh with, looking around and soon wrapping it around herself and snuggly around Shinachiku, securing him before washing off the Sweet Potatoes, peeling them as Shinachiku gabbed at her, Sarada taking a page out of Naruto's book, nodding and going 'Uh Huh' and 'Wow Really?'

It really seemed to fire the green-eyed baby up to a high extent, causing him to gab at her with the utmost conviction, the Uchiha girl giggling while she put the Potatoes into the pot before she hearing a person walking in.

Sarada looked behind her and saw Hinata standing there, freezing like a statue as she watched the Uzumaki woman before turning and bowing.

" Hinata-San..." She fiddled with the knife a little, brushing off a piece of Sweet Potato skin as she flushed almost in shame, " Why are you up?"

" Good Morning Sarada-Chan. You see, I have been an early riser all of my life, the only person that rises early here other than me sometimes is Himawari. I usually take this time to make breakfast."

Sarada nodded as that made sense, her mother being one to sleep till noon if she could get away with it while Boruto has been late to team meetings at least twice from his own habits while Hinata always seemed always awake and alert whenever she wasn't knocked unconscious, " Makes sense, uh..." She looked to the bubbling pot of Sweet Potatoes, " I thought it would be okay to use food for Shinachiku-"

" You have no need to explain yourself Sarada-Chan." Hinata gave her a small smile, " A growing boy needs to eat after all."

She then pressed her fingers together, " Would you help me with making Breakfast?"

The spectacled girl looked to her little brother before back up and nodding, " Sure."

" Wonderful." Hinata took an apron off the hook, a white apron that looked absolutely flawless as she slipped it on, tying it back with a big fluffy bow as she walked to her, " If you don't want to set Shina-Chan down you can help me measure and cut a few things."

The mention of not having to leave him brightened up Sarada as she nodded, " Okay!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Sakura woke up to a cold Tatami, sitting up to the smell of food as her eyes were heavy, rubbing at them as she stretched and yawned, pulling herself up with the sofa and making her way to the kitchen as she heard trilling sounds as her daughter was feeding her son from another world with something mashed to suit his diet, looking to see Hinata standing at the stove as she worked hard at frying up fish, the rice cooker going on overdrive for the two, almost three more people in the house considering it usually worked for only three people, maybe four on the rare occasion.

" Morning Hinata." Sakura smiled to her friend as she leaned against the doorway, running a hand through her messy hair.

" Morning Sakura." Hinata smiled back as she lifted a well-cooked fish onto a plate to be gently pat dry of the oil.

" Need any help?"

" Ah, yes could you please set up the table? And do you want water, tea, coffee-"

" Coffee. Please."

The Uzumaki nodded and went about home brewing a cup for her friend, tea for herself.

" Sugar? Cream?"

" Both please." Sakura went to the cupboards and loaded up on the dishes, setting out on the table and petting Sarada's head before petting Shinachiku as well, running her hand through his short blond hair, making another round with the silverware before finally pulling out the chair beside Sarada, glancing to her friend through the cap in the wall to let those in the dining room look at the one inside the kitchen as she diligently worked on breakfast for the whole of everyone.

She had to wonder that if there was going to be children from another world who else Hinata would have married.

If the marriage was one of love or not, taking into account her friend was from the very traditional Hyuuga Clan.

She hoped that in another world Hinata had been happy, and that if a child was coming that she would like and accept them.

It got her wondering who Sasuke would have ended up with if he had ended up with anyone.

Sighing, she pressed a hand to her head, the wonderful scent of coffee filling her nose as Hinata went and set the cup in front of her, the pinkette removing her hand and looking to her friend.

" Thank you Hinata..."

" Of course." She smiled without any teeth to the ex-Haruno, her eyes closing before she turned to go back to the food, Sakura curling her fingers around the cup.

" Hinata."

" Yes?" She stepped into the kitchen and before the stove, checking another fish before pulling it out, calm and swift movements that either somehow avoided grease splashes or ignored them when they did happen.

" What would you do if a child of your own shows up?"

Hinata froze for a moment before looking to Sakura, there being an indescribable look on her face as the trilling sounds from Sarada had stopped, the Uchiha child looking to her mother in bewilderment as Shinachiku whined for more food, not done with the cup of Sweet Potatoes.

The look disappeared and Hinata sighed, " I... I do not know. How... did you feel initially when Shinachiku showed up?"

" I didn't believe it until there were testings and even then I was unsure of what I would do for a little while. I'm glad I accepted him." She confessed as she looked to Shinachiku, their matching green eyes clashing as they stared to one another before a slowly moving Sarada brought up another spoon, the little one delightedly focusing on that instead as he leaned forward for it, " I just suppose that I should be on the lookout for any of Sasuke's children. And yours."

" Thank you for being considerate about it Sakura." Hinata bowed her head before finishing with the cooking, " I'll wake up my children, please, stay here."

Sakura nodded before putting the coffee cup to her lips, tasting the stifled bitterness as Sarada looked to her, " Mama, what should we do if Papa has his own kid?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

There was a silence as the cup came right back down onto the table, probably with a little more force than was necessary, but the thought of Sasuke, someone she tried so hard to keep with her, having other kids in any sense was a little devastating to her as she beat down the questions of what her husband would be like in the other world.

" Depends on who's the Mama Sarada." Sakura answered finally, honest, " Because who knows how Sasuke would react."

" Can't we contact him about this?" Sarada asked, " He should also know about Shinachiku."

" Only Naruto can. I mentioned how he's the only one in contact with Sasuke, so all that idiot has to do is tell him."

" You still calling me an Idiot Sakura-Chan?" Naruto yawned as he stretched, yanking out his chair and rolling his neck to free it from the kinks of sleeping on the couch in his office.

" Well you may have grown up, but you're still an idiot to me." Sakura smirked a little to him.

" Heh, Nice to know I haven't changed that much." Naruto chuckled warmly as Himawari flounced in to her seat and Boruto trudged in, looking tussled up as he blinked blearily to everyone before taking a seat on the opposite side of Sarada and Shinachiku, the raven-haired girl looking to her teammate and clearing her throat to get his attention.

" After this we have to go training with Mitsuki and the others to prepare for the Chunin Exams in the future-"

" Don't worry Sarada we'll kick their asses." Boruto stabbed a fish on the platter set down in front of him.

" We still have to train either way, we have to be ready for anything." Sarada started eating as well while Shinachiku eyed the food on everyone's plate despite the minimal teeth he had at this point in time.

" Uh Huh, sure." Boruto rolled his eyes as Himawari stood with her blue eyes alight in sparkles.

" Can I take Shina-Chan then?!"

" Take?" Naruto chuckled as he swallowed the rice he had been eating, " No, I'll take him, but you can play with me and him together okay?"

" I get to spend time with Daddy too?!" Himawari gasped with utter excitement as her father merely nodded with a smile, the little girl practically on cloud nine as Sakura chuckled and shook her head, going to head to the office while Shinachiku was with his father and half-sister- and maybe ask for a more stable schedule there to take into account the new bundle of joy that literally popped out of nowhere, trusting Naruto to take care of the little one even if she called him an idiot sometimes, knowing him to be a capable and an adoring man for his children, there was no safer place in the world Shinachiku could be besides with her as they finished breakfast and Sakura pet Sarada and Shinachiku's heads, thanking Hinata and Naruto for letting her and Sarada stay there for a bit and saying goodbye to everyone as she headed out the door.


	9. Sasuke and Surprises

**Author's Note:** Now for the Moments that I've been waiting for!

* * *

Two weeks had passed since Sakura had informed Naruto and Hinata of the existence of Shinachiku, a whole 2 weeks and 2 days since the little bundle of Joy had entered their lives as the Chunin Exams loomed ever closer, Sarada and Boruto becoming busy as Shinachiku was frequently bouncing from the care of Hinata and Himawari to Sakura, his father picking him up once or twice to spend time with him in his office, Naruto getting very attached very quickly to Shina-Chan, but also having a huge load of work always looming over him.

It was after the two week mark Sakura heard a knock on the door while Hinata and Himawari were visiting, Himawari rolling a ball between her and Shinachiku, whom was propped up on Sakura's legs in case he got tired while she was sitting looking over hospital reports.

The knock caught the attention of both women as Hinata paused in her knitting, knitting a red and green blanket for Shinachiku with little Katsuyu slugs lining it to show her talent.

" Who could that be?"

" I dunno..." Sakura stood, careful to prop Shinachiku up on his Slug plushie, though he whimpered when she moved away she got to the front door and opened it.

Standing there, was Sasuke.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Seeing him standing there, a blank look on his face as he stared down at her, it was like she had regressed to being a 12 year old girl again, her heart hammering as a high enveloped her, taking a shallow breath as she stared to him, " Sasuke-kun."

" Sakura." He acknowledged, " Naruto called me here."

The Pinkette had known that Naruto would do that, but all the preparation she had made of what to tell Sasuke when he finally did come... she couldn't recall it, it just fluttered out of the window.

" Ah." The soft voice of the Uzumaki came from behind her, " Sasuke-kun."

" Hinata." He bowed his head to her. If he was surprised by the other visitor he didn't show it, " Is Sarada and Boruto here?"

" N-No, just Himawari and I." Hinata spoke before looking to Sakura whom was a little frozen in the door, her hand tightening it's grip on the handle without crumpling it as she gathered her courage.

" S-S-Sasuke-kun…" Sakura always found her face flushed and her tripping over her words as she looked to his chest, unable to look him properly in the eye until she could say what she needed to, looking into the cold abyss as it stared back to her, " Did Naruto... Tell you why you should be here?"

There was a small pause before Sasuke shifted a little, " He was being vague about it, but he said it concerns you and Sarada and I should come home immediately."

Sakura wondered how long ago he got that message and how long he took his time getting there, but her inner self slugged that thought down, what was more important was that he was there!

" Come in!" She stepped back out of his way as he nodded and stepped in, the ex-Haruno closing the door behind her as Hinata bowed then, walking back into the other room as she seemed a little stiff, on guard to what Sasuke might do as Sakura hurriedly followed her friend ahead of Sasuke.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The pinkette found Himawari holding Shinachiku's hands as he tried to move his feet, the 8 year old beaming widely in an Uzumaki smile as her sparkling blue eyes looked down to him, Shinachiku looking over to the green eyed woman, gasping softly as he tried to move faster, " Ma! Ma! Mam!"

The adorable forming call from the nine month old almost brought her out of the floaty feeling she was getting with Sasuke finally showing up to a more grounding prideful feeling, smiling as she clasped her hands together.

" Look at you Shina-Chan!"

" He wanted to follow you Auntie Sakura!" Himawari looked up with a large smile before noticing Sasuke, pausing a little as Shinachiku didn't notice until he tried taking a second step forward, tugging on her hands as he whined and looked back to his half-sister.

"... Sakura, what is this?"

Sakura felt her blood chill as she looked back to see the almost dark look on Sasuke's face, as if not knowing how to register this.

" Sasuke-kun… Though you might not believe it... this is Shinachiku. He's my son... from another world." She gripped the loose bottom of her shirt and looked to the side.

There was a pause as Sasuke stared at the little Uzumaki boy, whom finally looked up to see him.

" Sa... Sa..." Shinachiku spoke slowly, all eyes on him, " Sasu!"

Himawari seemed eager to shake off the atmosphere with Shinachiku, " Look he remembers Sarada's Papa!"

Sasuke seemed a little less dark and a little more caught off guard. After all he had never seen this child before yet the little blond seemed to believe to know him, and Sakura's explanation made certain sense, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility with the work he did...

He walked past Sakura and knelt before the tiny thing, Sharingan and Rinnegan activating, searching for any hidden secrets, any cracks in what could be a façade, seeing nothing but a little one whom looked to him with sparkling green eyes as he let go of his half-sister, falling forward as Sasuke caught him with his one hand.

" Sasu! Sasu!" He crowed, excited to see him as Sasuke only felt awkward.

" I'm guessing between you and Naruto...?"

" That's what the letter from the other world said." Sakura nodded in confirmation, her voice light.

" And you...?" Sasuke looked to Hinata, whom was finally sitting down.

" I have accepted this as truth and he is a part of our family, as Naruto-kun insisted." Hinata bowed her head, " The only one we were wondering about was you."

There was another silence as Shinachiku bounced up and down, Sasuke looking down to him, " I see. Is there any other reports of this happening?"

" None other than him. The letter they sent with him mentioned that others may follow, but Naruto's been combing around and there hasn't yet been any surprise visitors." She reported as Hinata slowly took up her knitting again, slower this time in case she had to drop it.

" I see. And the cause?"

" They didn't specify what had caused them to send him over other than it being the end of their world." Hinata spoke for Sakura, whom nodded in confirmation.

" Well then there's nothing else we can do but have you take care of him, right?"

" That is the case. I wasn't really looking to put him on Hinata, but Naruto and Shinachiku's half-siblings all want to be involved with him."

" Sarada?"

" Yes, she seems very happy to have a little brother." Sakura couldn't help but smile before the door opened, as if mentioning her caused her to appear.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

" I'm home!" Sarada called as she unfastened her shoes, Boruto merely kicking them off and jogging in, pausing in the doorway.

" Sasuke-San?"

" Huh? Papa's here?" Sarada looked up as she kicked off her last shoe and ran in after Boruto, pausing when she saw her father kneeling there with Shinachiku leaning against him with the widest little Uzumaki smile, " You're back? Since When?" She smiled as she made her way over and dropped to her knees as Shinachiku squealed and let her pick him up and cradle him even as Himawari pouted that her little half-brother was taken from her.

" Just around now. The Chunin Exams are coming up after all and will be hosted here. That, and Naruto alerted me about something I had to check on here."

" You mean Shina-Chan?" Sarada asked as she offered up the baby.

" Seems as though." Sasuke nodded as Shinachiku beamed to the two of them, Sakura feeling a pang as she wondered if another true Uchiha child would fill that spot, Sarada so happy to be a big sister before Himawari pressed to them.

" Hey! Don't hog Shina-Chan!"

" Himawari, he can't provide you entertainment all day." Hinata spoke as she looked up from her knitting but did not stop moving her hands.

" Then Nii-Chan, play with me!" The purple-haired girl turned to her brother with puppy-dog eyes as Boruto sighed before smiling.

" Alright alright."

Sarada hummed as Shinachiku soon rubbed at his eyes, " Nap time Shina-Chan."

He pouted but Sarada merely chuckled, " Don't worry, I'll take the nap with you, it's been a very hard training day after all..."

She stood and walked away with the little blond as Sasuke watched after her, Sakura smiling softly, warmly, " Will you be staying with us Sasuke-kun?"

" For a while, yes." The Uchiha Patriarch nodded as he stood finally.

" Will you stay for dinner?"

There was another long pause before Sasuke turned around and headed out, " I'll be back."

Sakura watched after him as her heart dropped, saying nothing as he opened the door and left with the small click of the door, Hinata looking to her worriedly.

" Sakura-"

" It's fine. This is... It's fine." She murmured before standing as Himawari and Boruto ran around, looking to Hinata, " I'm going to start dinner, are you guys staying?"

Hinata watched her before bowing her head, " If you want us to stay, we will stay."

"... Please."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Hinata, Boruto and Himawari were long gone as Sarada and Shinachiku had woken up, had dinner and then went back to bed, snoozing together as Sakura did the dishes as she insisted, silence surrounding her as she clinked another bowl into the strainer.

She had been putting off doing the dishes because she wanted to put off acknowledging Sasuke might not be there that night, but she couldn't put it off anymore if she wanted to go to sleep at a reasonable hour.

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair as she sniffled, rubbing at her eyes until she heard a knock at the door.

Hope burst inside her.

It was too late in the evening for any sane person to be at the door.

She turned and sprinted down the hallway to the door, grabbing it up and wrenching it open before pausing, stopping completely as she saw Karin standing there.

Her red eyes seemed tired and like they had been crying under her glasses, her shoulders hunched, but it wasn't because of that Sakura felt her heart drop.

It was the bundle in her arms.

" Sakura..." Karin whispered.

" Karin..." Sakura murmured back.

They both knew what was in her arms.

Karin looked like she had been internally battling with herself before she had finally gone to the conclusion to heed her own advice the last time they talked, Karin biting her lip before offering up a letter and picture to Sakura, whom numbly took them, staring at the bundle as Karin held it closer before speaking.

" Her name is Akari. In another world, she is my daughter... but she is also Sasuke's."


	10. Little Akari Uchiha

**Author's Note:** Introducing Little Akari Uchiha!

* * *

Sakura had numbly opened her house to Karin and the little one bundled in her arms, allowing them inside before she looked to the paper and the picture as Karin went to take a seat.

The picture showed Karin and Sasuke with their little bundle of joy, Sasuke having his arms around Karin with his head on her shoulder as she was beaming, her head tilted back to be beside his as her eyes were closed, her hairstyle unshaven unlike now as she cradled a little baby girl to see the world before her.

The child, unlike Sarada, was a mix of her parents. Her hair was a vibrant red like her mother's, spiking in every which way as her eyes were black with tears beaded at the ends, a pacifier in her mouth to keep her calm as she wore a cute Azure onesie, the scenery around them being unfamiliar, not of Konoha.

Tears welling in her own eyes she turned her attention to the letter.

_**To the Reader of this Letter, **_

_**If this jutsu is a success, then the one reading this is a friend of ours, or is us ourselves in another universe. **_

_**I am Karin Uchiha, the woman in the photo, the man is my husband Sasuke Uchiha. **_

_**With this you must have received our little eleven month old daughter Akari Uchiha and we have saved her from the fate of our other world.**_

_**There is not much else we can do but ask you to take care of her and let her know we are proud of her.**_

_**Sincerely, Karin Uchiha. **_

Tears hit the page as Sakura read the little note below that in a style she only recognized from the one-word letter she had received during her birthday/Naruto and Hinata's wedding, Sasuke's.

**There is a chance she is not alone in coming to this world. Keep an eye out for the other children, and let her know we are always watching over her, just like her Uncle did for me. -Sasuke**

Sakura immediately knew she couldn't handle this as she looked after Karin where she disappeared, trying not to crush the letter in her grip as she heard a rattle shake, slowly approaching the living room where Karin sat down, the little one squirming as she shook the rattle, sitting up in her mother's arms, Karin murmuring things to her as the older woman looked so tired and a little on guard about what was to come.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

This wasn't Karin's fault.

But Sakura didn't have the sacrificial love Hinata had for Naruto.

She couldn't accept the other child as a daily part of her life.

Placing her hands over her eyes she grit her teeth, her whole body shuddering as Karin watched her tiredly, sadly.

" Karin... Karin I can't do this."

There was a silence before Karin bowed her head, " I understand."

" I... I don't know if you do... But... I'll take it." Sakura rubbed at her eyes, smearing tears over her face as she staggered forward and sat beside the one whom helped her give birth to her daughter, " I'm sorry Karin. I don't mean this as a slight to you or Akari… But I can't accept Sasuke's other child. Even if it's not his, I-I can't."

Wet drops fell off her jaw onto her clothes as she sniffled, " I know he's off in other dimensions to fight a giant evil or whatever... But that's just what he tells us. How do we know if that's really the case? What if some other woman steps up with a baby and says it's 'from another dimension' but it's not?"

Karin looked down at the redhead baby whom looked back with dark eyes and her little teeth clamped on her Uchiha fan rattle, " I don't think Sasuke likes women that much. I don't think he likes _anyone_ that much."

Sakura gave a watery laugh, " Unless that's Naruto." The words were so bitter that she had to bite her lower lip as she hugged herself, but Karin merely closed her eyes and gave a brief nod.

" I may not be in your exact position... but I get your thought process. I just... I just didn't want to be a hypocrite and not come to you when she showed up."

Sakura couldn't help but appreciate that herself on some levels.

" How long has she been around, Karin?"

" Six Days."

It was a long time to keep that stuff a secret, but Karin was always so honest and cared so much about the happiness of Sarada and Sasuke, which in affect was also both of their own happiness.

Sakura looked to her head-on, turning her whole body to her while still on the couch, and bowed to her, " Thank you Karin. I appreciate that very much.

I'm sorry I cannot be a better friend but I can't-"

" Sakura." Karin spoke, her eyes down on the ground, " Before you say what you're going to say... I have to ask a favor."

" A favor?" Sakura asked as she looked bewildered to the redhead, whom bowed her head almost as from shame.

" I... I need to live in Konoha.

You don't have to see me or Akari… But I need to live here."

Sakura's heart was in her stomach.

" Because I don't trust Orochimaru."

_Oh._

_-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-_

" He may have 'Calmed Down' in a sense with Konoha watching him and Kabuto but I am taking no chances with this.

Please, I just need you to ask someone like Naruto for a place for me to stay."

Sakura could see where she was coming from.

Orochimaru had experimented on hundreds, maybe even thousands of people for a long period of time, killing many and ruining the lives of countless more.

Sakura even wondered why he was still alive if he was under such close watch from Konoha, everyone knew what he did, but she and others always trusted Naruto- so there was no rioting when the one to bring the most World Peace anyone has seen said Orochimaru wasn't going to die, just quiet acceptance.

Sakura then remembered the other two always constantly hanging around Karin and a question came forefront.

" Are your teammates coming with you?"

" They're thinking about it, the only reason it isn't an outright yes is because of Juugo's Cursemark, medication wears off after a long time of using it because his kekkei genkai is adaptive and he believes Orochimaru is the only one who can help."

Sakura leaned back a little in her seat and nodded.

Karin had done so much for her and her family, and Sarada would be overjoyed to see her more often... So maybe...?

" Did you tell Sasuke about Akari?"

" Haven't seen him in months." Karin answered honestly as the loud rattling from the child's toy came up again.

" You can tell him if you need to. He should know." Sakura bowed her head before bringing a hand up and biting on the thumb nail, " And you can bring your teammates, Shizune and I can work on what Orochimaru's cone so far with the medication- if you can give us the papers. Having Naruto order for them lets him know exactly where the three of you would leave to and it's not what we're looking for."

Karin nodded and Sakura let go, taking a deep breath before looking to the red-eyed woman, " I may not want to see her around much because of what she is... But you are still free to come to me when you have any need to.

I think some Inns are open at this time, tomorrow I'll ask Naruto for some help." Sakura stood and rifled around before coming out with a coin purse and bringing out Ryo for Karin to use to get a place, the other woman hesitantly offering out one hand while the other cradled the child as she took the money and nodded, her clasped hand pushing up her glasses for her to rub at the corners of her eyes.

" Thank you Sakura. I'm sorry to ask this of you."

" And I'm sorry to put this on you." Sakura bowed her head, " But there's nothing we can do about it.

Please be safe."

Karin nodded and stood, walking to the front door which Sakura opened for her, handing her the letter and picture before the redhead stepped out with her child secure against her chest, looking back once more before turning away and by the look and sound of it giving her child a kiss on the head, disappearing into the darkness as Sakura was quiet, standing there for almost half a minute before eventually shutting the door.

Only to turn around and jolt as Sarada stood there in her pajamas.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

" Sarada..."

" Mom..."

" How long were you here?"

" The rattle..."

Sakura wiped at her tear-dried face and gave a shaky smile, " So all of it. I knew I shouldn't have let you go to sleep early, you wake up at the latest times..." She then gave one last sniff before straightening herself, " So... are you angry at me for sending her away?"

Sarada clenched a hand before her heart, looking to the side as she tried to search within herself.

" Not... Really..."

That almost surprised Sakura, " Why? Don't you like Karin-San?"

Sarada's head jolted up and she nodded vigorously, " I do!" Then she faltered, " But... That's..."

The younger girl struggled to piece together why she felt the way she did about Karin and her half-sister being turned away at the door, " That was... me in a way... and I don't... know..."

Sakura tried to make an educated guess on it as she had once questioned her legitimacy to being Sakura's child and for a time believed she was Karin's.

This little girl was now _actually_ the child of Karin and her Papa, leading to more complex feelings on the matter, as well as trying to take into account how her mother was feeling about all of it.

Sakura approached her and wrapped her arms around her.

" You are mine and Sasuke's, Sarada. No one else's. If you want to befriend her, you can. I just cannot handle taking her in. I've already sacrificed enough for you on Sasuke's behalf, I can't take this even if it isn't his fault."

Sarada nodded against her and also hugged her mother as Sakura shook her head, " Sometimes I wonder how Hinata can do it... Take him in and try to treat Shina-Chan nicely."

" Because he deserves it." Sarada muffled.

" But so does Akari." Sakura gently reminded as she stroked her daughter's head.

" It's just complicated mom..."

" You're right about that... Now come on Sarada, let's get you to bed."

" I'm not that tired though!"

" Well that's just tough, because I'm not letting you stay up the rest of the night!" Sakura chuckled as she turned her around and ushered her daughter up to her room.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The next morning Sakura was dressing up Shinachiku in a green onesie lined in red, Sarada getting dressed as well when the door opened with a _SLAM_!

Sakura immediately stopped and ran out the room for the front door.

" AUNT SAKURA!" Boruto hollered as he was running in, the two of them colliding with each other.

" Boruto! Boruto what happened?!" Sakura grabbed his shoulders.

" Y-You gotta help me, it's mom!" Boruto spoke, in a panic with tears beading in his eyes.

Sakura paused for only a moment before looking back and hollering, " Sarada! Grab Shinachiku and head to the Uzumaki house!"

Her raven-haired daughter appeared at the end of that, looking to the teary Boruto before back to her mother and giving a firm nod, disappearing back to where Shinachiku was left behind as Sakura and Boruto ran out for the Uzumaki house.

' _Hinata, please be okay._'


	11. New Baby!

Hinata had never been envious of Sakura's situation.

She had always believed all her life she would love Naruto, until she died.

That night she had dreamed about walking down the isle again.

There was no cherry blossoms fluttering through the air, and Naruto was not by her side.

There were other differences, but the thing that caught her attention was when she looked at the one in the place of her groom, her whole mind seemed to warp the person's entire existence out, like it was trying to shield her from the thought, even when the groom reached out to her and touched her face, a hand gliding across her cheek as it woke her up.

The first thing she noticed when awake was how heavy she felt.

Naruto was always one to hug and hold whatever he could get his hands on in bed, but they hadn't been in the same bed for months, her heart fluttering before she opened her eyes, her world swimming before her.

Something was _wrong_.

She tried to roll to her side, the heaviness making it so hard to do so, but she eventually was laying on her side.

" Boruto! Boruto!" She called for her son, feeling her mind and vision swim when she lifted her head, causing her to lay it back down, " Boruto please!"

Her son arrived and was soon sent out to get Sakura as Hinata lowered her hand and pressed it to her swollen abdomen, feeling something _alive_ under her hands.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

" You're gonna be okay Hinata." Sakura soothed as she stroked her friend's head, a fever having overtaken Hinata as Naruto stood outside the room, having been alerted by the others, Boruto skipping over team training to make sure his mother was okay as she put a damp cloth on her friend's head before closing up her bag of equipment she had snatched on her way there, taking a deep breath and stepping out to view Naruto, whom was bouncing Shinachiku as he paced this way and that, pausing when he saw Sakura, worry in his eyes.

" She's gonna be okay Naruto. Her body was just under a lot of stress in a very short amount of time, to accommodate the new body.

If I would have to guess her alternate self had been six months along in her pregnancy, but I can't be sure. But the hormones in her body kicked into overdrive and her body's trying to process this- it's lucky that the baby seems to be fine and Hinata's stomach didn't split open."

Naruto seemed pale as he nodded, " Do... Do we have any note or anything else? Something to explain this?"

" Only one thing I saw." Sakura motioned Naruto in and went to Hinata's bedside again, her breathing shallow with her face continually flushed as she took the Uzumaki woman's arm and lifted it up.

A bracelet made of glass hung off it, almost crystal clear with lilies carved into the glass.

" A bracelet? You think it's involved with the children coming from another world?"

" Positive. What I am concerned about is why there's no note that I can see."

Both looked to her stomach and Naruto grimaced, holding Shinachiku a little closer to himself, " Other than the letter being inside her what is the other option?"

Sakura paused and watched her friend before looking back to her friend, " If the letter isn't inside her from this special circumstance, it might mean she has another child, one who is with the father and has the letter."

" And you think the one who gave her the bracelet is the father?"

Sakura nodded to give a short answer before explaining, " Well there are a lot of things the other world probably did differently. For Instance the pictures of you and I with Shinachiku showed us looking just a little older than when we actually had kids here, which probably means we did other things before finally having a kid, our times are not a completely direct parallel, and maybe it just shows with Hinata having that bracelet now."

Naruto nodded as he nuzzled to the soft head of Shinachiku, his brows knit in concern, " So you know who it is?"

" I have a theory. But I don't feel comfortable with testing it out..." Sakura also had a similar look of concern as she looked back to her friend whom was fast asleep from the medicine she had the Uzumaki woman take.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

" Alright, can I let Himawari and Boruto in to see her?"

" Of course, just make sure they don't touch her, we don't know how much pain that would send her into right now." The Uchiha woman nodded before stepping to Naruto, offering her hands for her son, but Naruto merely waved her off gently, continuing to hold the little green-eyed blond as he opened the door and let in his other children with Sarada.

Himawari's beautiful blue eyes were filled with tears pouring down her face, Boruto looking almost similarly teary as their faces looked exactly like their father's when he was sobbing his heart out, snot leaking out of their noses as Himawari closed her eyes and wailed as she ran to her mother's bedside, reaching to hug her mother only for Sakura to pull her back gently by the back of her shirt.

" Slow down there Himawari-Chan, we don't know if your mother can take a hug right now."

In response Himawari turned and buried her head in Sakura's waist.

" Is Mama gonna die?!" She bawled into Sakura's waist, who merely shook her head indulgently as she pet the little Sunflower's head.

" No, she's not going to die."

Boruto let out a shaky sigh in relief as Sakura looked to him in approval, " You did the right thing in coming to get me Boruto, you must have been scared."

The young blue-eyed blond sucked up his snot to the best of his ability before wiping it off with his sleeve, " Wasn't scared." He murmured shakily as Sarada looked to him cryptically before punching him in the arm.

" You can be scared for your Mom, Boruto, that isn't a weakness." Her teammate gave her a short glare before sniffling again, Naruto giving him a tissue as the boy shook him off.

" Fine, I was scared, because she was scared." Boruto refused to take all of the responsibility, but Sakura let it slide and nodded as she stroked Himawari's hair.

" An Understandable Reaction from both of you, but I assure you that you are just getting a new sibling, like Sarada did with Shinachiku."

Himawari looked up to her with a tear-streaked face, stunned.

" We're getting our own Shina-Chan?" She looked to her father and half-brother whom was tucked safely in his arms, watching her with curious green eyes as all worries seemed to wash away from the young girl and she gave a big Uzumaki smile, " This one's ours?"

" Oi Hima-Chan, Shinachiku's just as much yours as he is Sarada's." Naruto gently scolded her, toying with Shinachiku's hand with his own.  
Boruto gave a small weak scoff, " You'd like to think that dad but Aunt Sakura and Sarada said that he was an Uchiha so he's practically one with how much they have him."

" Well I won't go against what you said." Sarada proclaimed with a grin, pleased as punch to be the big sister of Shinachiku, even if there was a few complications in how she felt to the new arrival of Akari, " Still I don't think you'll have anyone as good as Shina-Chan." She chuckled boastfully as Naruto shifted slightly, uncomfortable with the obvious bias he had himself for his own children as the green-eyed baby nuzzled his face in his father's chest.

" Still, Who's the dad?" Boruto asked as he looked to Sakura.

" Well, we can take some blood samples, but I have an idea as to who it is."

" Why are you being so cryptic?" Boruto's eyes narrowed to her.

" No special reason, I just don't want to physically test her like this when she's in this condition, especially if I'm wrong, then that would just lead to her being injured."

Both children tensed as they watched the pinkette.

" What do you mean by that?" The blond prodded, Naruto moving close to him and setting a hand on his shoulder.

" Boruto, leave it be, it's not happening now."

The teen looked to his father with some frustration before down to his little half-brother, whom stared back to him harmlessly before gurgling to him, the tenseness melting away as he reached up and pet the younger boy.

"... Alright, but I'm not happy about it."

" You don't have to be." Sarada answered in Naruto's stead, " Come on then, If there's nothing new to find out and Aunt Hinata's fine then it means that we can go and train for the Chunin Exams, it will probably be good to give you an outlet."

Boruto bowed his head before nodding as he followed his teammate out and Himawari slowly detached from Sakura and moved herself beside her mother whom was laying still, not touching her like Sakura asked, but merely laying beside her as Naruto and Sakura shared a look.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

" Can you at least tell me your theory even if we can't test it?" Naruto's voice was serious as he held his otherworldly son to him, Sakura watching him with her brows knit, unsure.  
" Naruto I'm not sure if you want that on your mind-"

" Sakura," The jinchuriki interrupted her, looking to her in pleading, " She's my wife. Just like Sasuke deserved to find out about that possibility with Shinachiku, I need to know the same with her."

The Medic nin looked from her oldest male friend back to her other female friend, taking her arm again and lifting it as she took the glass bracelet to slip it off.

Only for it to turn grainy for a moment- constricting and clamping down on the Uzumaki woman's wrist, refusing to let go as Sakura herself did in surprise, having passively proven what she had thought she would have to use violence for.

" It's Gaara's."


	12. Gaara and Surprises

" Gaara? Our Gaara?" Naruto asked, sounding stunned as they both watched the bracelet turn back to glass snuggly against Hinata's wrist.

" I don't know who else could manipulate sand like this and so far away from themselves." Sakura pointed out as she looked to the bed then, unable to look back at Naruto.

Would he be mad?

Would he be upset and jealous like she had been that in some other world his significant other was with someone else?

Naruto was so easily upset nowadays-

" This is great!"

Sakura's eyes widened and she looked back to see the blond lifting Shinachiku high in the air, spinning with him, " Did you hear that Shina-Chan? It's Gaara's!"

" Agaa!" Shinachiku babbled with the biggest smile.

" N-Naruto?" The pinkette was a little flabbergasted to say in the least as to why this was his reaction.

The Hokage looked to her and tucked Shinachiku by his chest again, playing with his son's hand, " Don't you get it Sakura-Chan? It's Gaara. Not Toneri or some other guy, but Gaara!"

He had his big Uzumaki smile beaming through his face as he explained, " One of my best friends and someone who treats his family the best I have ever seen, there's probably no one I could have picked better for Hinata in another world, I really mean that Sakura-Chan!"

Sakura could only stare at him with wide eyes, a little unable to entirely understand what he was so happy about.

But then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Naruto wasn't in her situation, and he wasn't her.

While she was indignant that somewhere in sometime Sasuke was in a committed relationship with Karin, Naruto was happy that somewhere in sometime, Hinata was genuinely happy with someone, even if that wasn't him.

Because he cared about other people and their happiness, it was why he was Hokage.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

She felt a twinge at her lips in the smallest of smiles before shaking her head, " I can't understand you sometimes, Naruto-Baka."

The blond looked down to her and chuckled a little as he scratched his cheek, " Hehe, Sounds a little weird now that I say it aloud... But..." He smiled sheepishly, " I'm happy that even if she isn't completely happy here she is happy somewhere else."

" You're just like that Naruto." Sakura nodded before looking down to the heavily pregnant Uzumaki woman, " Are you going to call up Gaara?"

" Well..." Naruto cleared his throat, looking less sheepish now, " No."

Sakura's head whipped back so fast she practically had whiplash, " _What?_"

Naruto lifted a hand in surrender while the other was tucked under Shinachiku's bottom, keeping him safe to his chest while precious green eyes watched the two of them, " He's supposed to be here later today! Chunin Exams stuff you know!"

Sakura's lips pressed together and she nodded, " Alright, if you promise to talk to him about it."

Naruto changed his hands from surrender to a vow, " I definitely will." He then walked to her and handed her Shinachiku, " In fact I have to get back to work, okay? If Hinata's well enough when she wakes up, please send her to me to talk as well."

Sakura nodded as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a set of plastic keys, jangling them as Shinachiku reached over and took them, shaking them while Naruto looked to him with the softest of looks, leaning down and giving him a peck on the forehead before standing and walking away.

" Ababaga." Shinachiku remarked seriously, Sakura chuckling as she pet his fluffy blond head.

" Absolutely, Shina-Chan."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was three hours later when she was holding Hinata's hand and helping her walk out.

She had informed Hinata of the situation- holding the shocked woman when she practically fainted- and then informed her that Naruto wanted to see her.

It caused Hinata to do her best to get up and Sakura offered to help her walk there and step out when she got the blue-haired woman there.

" Thank you for your help Sakura-Chan." Hinata murmured as she looked to the ground.

" No problem Hinata. Us girls have to stick together." Sakura assured her as they walked out of the house together, " Are you going to be okay?"

Hinata paused before taking a deep breath, " I don't... know. I know Gaara-Sama from visiting Suna with Naruto-kun, but... I never really thought of him that way... I've always had eyes for Naruto-kun."

Sakura nodded, " I know the feeling..."

Hinata looked to her with sadness at the boat the two women were in at the moment before the pink-haired ex-Haruno decided to tell her friend, looking to the bassinette she was carrying in one hand with Shinachiku inside, " Karin showed up... She and Sasuke had a baby together in the other world."

" Sakura-Chan... I'm so sorry..." Hinata looked to the ground.

" It's not your fault... And it's not her fault either. I just can't stand to look at her and her daughter right now... With Sasuke gone for so long it's almost as if he cheated on me. It's not like you and Naruto where you know he doesn't have the time to do such a thing and you saw me not being pregnant.

And I have to help her on top of it all, still."

Hinata looked to her in confusion.

" Ah, she needs a place to stay because she doesn't trust Orochimaru."

" I suppose that's fair."

Sakura nodded as they entered the Hokage building, helping her friend up the stairs before knocking on the office door.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

" Not now." Came the answer from inside, both women looking to each other.

" Naruto, it's me and Hinata." Sakura called, there being a silence before the door opened and both women froze for a moment.

Sakura knew she should have seen this coming, but she had hoped she wouldn't have to as Sasuke stood beside Naruto behind the Kage desk, Gaara in front of the desk as standing beside him was not only his adopted son Shinki, but a perfect mirror copy of him.

And tucked into Gaara's arms was a little girl with dark blue hair, a doll-like face and sea foam green eyes, her hair pulled back into adorable little pigtails at the bottom as she looked to the two of them before her eyes welled up with tears and she started to bawl as she reached out for Hinata.

" _Mama!_"


End file.
